Buyer · FHSA
FHSA maximum, FHSA limit, FHSA contribution room: the question comes in every form. The numbers are simple; it is the carry-forward that trips people up.
The FHSA maximum in 2026 is $8,000 of contribution per calendar year and $40,000 lifetime. Unused room carries forward to later years, but the carry-forward is capped at $8,000: the most you can put in a single year is therefore $16,000, the year's $8,000 plus $8,000 of carry-forward. Room only exists from the year the account is opened, never retroactively. Someone who opened in 2023 without contributing has $32,000 of room on paper as of January 1, 2026, but can only contribute $16,000 this year. Growth generated inside the account does not count toward the limit: a full account is often worth more than $40,000 at the time of purchase. In Quebec, the FHSA is called CELIAPP; the rules are identical.
$8,000 of room per calendar year, from the year the account is opened. $40,000 lifetime, across all accounts if you have several. $8,000 of maximum carry-forward: unused room accumulates, but you can only catch up $8,000 of it in a given year. The effective annual cap is therefore $16,000 for someone with room in reserve, and $8,000 for someone who contributes the maximum every year.
| Account opened in | Room accumulated as of January 1, 2026 (if nothing contributed) | Maximum contribution in 2026 | Lifetime limit reached at the earliest in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $32,000 | $16,000 | 2027 |
| 2024 | $24,000 | $16,000 | 2028 |
| 2025 | $16,000 | $16,000 | 2029 |
| 2026 | $8,000 | $8,000 | 2030 |
| Not opened yet | $0 | $0 | 5 years after opening |
The 2023 line is the most instructive: $32,000 of accumulated room, but only $16,000 of possible contribution in 2026, then $16,000 in 2027. Contributing a little every year systematically beats late catch-up. Our FHSA calculator runs the numbers with your actual contributions.
The $40,000 limit targets contributions, not the account's value. An FHSA filled over five years and invested can be worth $45,000, $50,000 or more at the time of purchase, and the whole amount, growth included, is withdrawn tax-free for a first home. Conversely, a loss does not restore room: an account down to $35,000 after $40,000 of contributions is full anyway.
Each person has their own limit: two first-time buyer spouses accumulate $80,000 of contributions, plus two deductions. You cannot contribute to your spouse's FHSA, but you can give them the money to contribute to their own, with no attribution rule. A parent can do the same for a child aged 18 and over: the gift funds the contribution, the child takes the deduction when their income justifies it, even years later.
An excess contribution is taxed at 1% per month on the excess, as long as it stays in the account. Check your room in your CRA My Account before contributing, especially if you opened the account during the year or hold several.
Unlike the RRSP, there is no first-60-days rule: a contribution counts for the calendar year in which it is made. Opening in December 2026 gives $8,000 of room for 2026, carried forward; opening in January 2027 loses it. It is the only case where the calendar creates or destroys $8,000 of limit at once. Withdrawing it later is covered in how to withdraw from your FHSA.
$8,000 of room per calendar year, from the year the account is opened, with unused room carried forward up to $8,000, so at most $16,000 of contribution in a single year.
$40,000 of contributions, across all accounts. Growth adds freely on top.
No. The $8,000 per year and $40,000 lifetime limits are set by law and not indexed; they are the same in 2026 as when the plan was created in 2023.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 1, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.
Quebec runs on civil law, so several French terms have no direct English equivalent: hypothèque is a hypothec and not a mortgage, vices cachés are latent defects, and the taxe de bienvenue is legally transfer duties. The full list is in our Quebec real estate glossary. See also this term explained.
Équipe no 1 de RE/MAX Platine en 2024 et en 2025, 6e au Québec, 15e au Canada et dans le top 50 mondial au classement officiel RE/MAX. Réponse en moins de 24 heures, sept jours sur sept.